Call of Duty campaigns has always been exciting for me as I am an avid fan of shooter games and also the Modern Warfare series. After the ending of the MW 2019 campaign, I was excited to know more about what happened next and the sequel answers it all.
The new game marks the return of Captain Price, aka Bravo 6, and the entire Task Force 141. Being a veteran player, I was already excited to see the whole squad in action again to fight off their foes. This review will only focus on my experience will the campaign of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022), so he goes.
Story: A more cinematic take on a Modern Warfare campaign
Before saying anything else, it should be addressed that the new game feels more like a cinematic than a game. However, that isn’t really a bad thing and is a welcome addition overall.
The very first mission or the tutorial of the game starts off with Ghost on a mission in a canyon. During this mission, Ghost is sent on a mission to confirm a terrorist general named Ghorbani is to be neutralized. After marking the target the game seamlessly switches to a ballistic missile launching cinematic which again seamlessly switches back to gameplay.
This switch was already impressive for me, however, when the missile landed on target, all I was left with was chills over my body. During that very moment, I realized that sound design also plays a huge part in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign.
After the events shown in the first chapter, it is revealed that Ghorbani’s successor Hassan Zyani seeking revenge against the US using ballistic missiles. To take care of the problem, Task Force 141 is assigned to find Hassan and the locations of the missiles to stop him.
Later on, finding out that the locations are with a Mexican cartel, Task Force 141 decides to join the Mexican Special Forces for a joint operation. During this collaboration, players are introduced to a new character named Alejandro Vargas, who took the show.
The new characters are very charming:
Like Farah from the previous game, Alejandro is also very charismatic in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign. Not only that, but the character is also skillful in the field with was clear from his writing.
While the story is rather serious involving sensitive topics, there are moments that made me laugh. For instance, the conversations between Soap and Ghost were ever interesting.
The story was quite immersive with a lot of up and down. The campaign had a solid ending and the post-credit scene is a treat for veterans.
Gameplay: Better optimized than its predecessor
When I first opened the game on my system it was already clear to me that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is more optimized. This is evident from the massive decrease in game size which used to be much higher.
Other than the optimization, the gameplay feels relatively smoother with more focus on technicalities. The gun mechanics and rag doll physics make it almost realistic with the same Call of Duty formula. The environments were heavily detailed which made the ambiance better.
While many expect high-paced gameplay from Call of Duty campaigns, Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t take up that path. Rather, the gameplay is rather slower and focuses on more tactical approaches. However, players do the choice to go blazing at any point if they wish to.
The narrative also allows players to pick different dialogues from time to time. This in my opinion is great for narrative as players have the choice to get their unique story. However, these dialogue choices do not affect the main story and only give more charm to whom they are interacting with.
Graphics and performance: How does it look and feel?
In terms of graphics, Modern Warfare 2 aces the job like its predecessor. There can be some moments where details might seem slightly downgraded. However, it is understandable as the game size has been reduced drastically.
However, that does stop the new game from being a treat to the eyes at some moments. Furthermore, the environment also looked great while being less taxing on my system. The following are the specification of my test bench:
- CPU: Ryzen 5 3600
- GPU: Gigabyte RTX 2060S 8GB
- RAM: XPG D60G 16GB DDR4 @3200Mhz
- Motherboard: Aorus B450 Elite
On recommended settings, I was able to play the game at nearly 90 FPS, which was quite impressive. Additionally, I got 120+ FPS on low settings, however, stuck to recommended as it gave me a balance between gameplay and story.
Conclusion: Yay or nay?
The new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 campaign is a must-play for both new and veteran fans. While many veterans may complain about the heavy usage of cinematics in the latest iteration, I felt otherwise. Some of the levels are direct tributes to the older version and are fun to play.
For anyone who likes the gun-blazing factor of a COD game, this game might not be the first pick for them. However, that shouldn’t be a hold-off, as the campaign is worth going through. With new characters and lore, it can be said for sure that the game surely aces its expectations.
This review copy was provided by Activision.
For anyone who likes the gun-blazing factor of a COD game, this game might not be the first pick for them. However, that shouldn't be a hold-off, as the campaign is worth going through. With new characters and lore, it can be said for sure that the game surely aces its expectations.
